I shoot food for a few local magazines a few times a month, and I love it.

Food is one of those fun things to shoot as there is no one to direct, pose, or chase around. Once your light is set, you can pretty much just go to work with minor lighting adjustments as you go.

For this set, I shot at Village Bistro in Milford, CT. I’d like to thank Kay and his chef David for accommodating me the other day. One of the best things about food is that it is fresh, so right after the shoot, you get to eat!

I try to shoot food quickly so that not one plate is sitting for too long. This is important when food elements can spoil, like steak tartare, or when elements can wilt, as is the case when greens are already seasoned on the plate.

I usually use a one or two light setup with a silver reflector. Food likes to be lit from the sides or top as this gives you texture. If you front light, you fill all those nooks and crannies in with light and lost the beauty of the food.

This is my setup and gear:

Nikon D3, 60mm Micro Nikkor

SB910 into a Phottix shoot through umbrella

California Sunbounce Micro Mini mounted on a lightstand

Phottix Odin TTL, for this shoot I used TTL

I process all my images through Capture One Pro 7 and add contrast, saturation, and sharpness with Totally Rad Actions Boutwell Magic Glasses.